Setting Moon
by highschoolwriting
Summary: Continuation of the original story that picks up after the end of New Moon. Edward and Bella fluff and some... well maybe more than just some sexuality. Hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_ or its sequel _New Moon_; I just like playing god with the characters. XD

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Bella stretched out across her bed, languidly allowing her foot to rise and fall, making it thump against the bed on the down-stroke. She was trying to make her time under house arrest pass more quickly by studying calculus, but math only holds interest for so long – soon her 4s were monopods come to invade the 3s in the land of cosine. The 2s in sine were peaceful enough, but a 7 living amongst them in exile decided to fight back for his fellow odd numbers, disguising himself as a 4 to win back his lost love… whom he LEFT to protect her. She snorted. Stupid, self-righteous types.

Bella glanced at the clock. 6:20. She sighed and pressed her face into the pillow to scream and whimper with annoyance that time couldn't be sped up. Since the motorcycle incident, her demon of a father hadn't allowed Edward inside. He was allowed to be chauffeur since the keys to her truck were locked away in a dark, lonely place where she couldn't get them, but past the daily rides and time at school she had been banned from having any contact – human or otherwise – outside of short phone calls.

"I wish Edward was here… AAHHH!" Bella spun in surprise at the light, cool contact of fingertips under her shirt and fell to the floor, gracefully landing flat on her butt. Her unearthly beautiful lover fell over onto his side, shaking and clutching his sides with the strain of trying to keep his laughter silent. Bella flopped back onto the floor and let out a wheezy sigh of exasperation and relief that it was only Edward. "I hate you."

"Oh, Emmett would be rolling on the ground if he could have seen that," he chuckled without remorse. " Oh, God. Aha! Bella, dear, you are too cute." She tried to glare at the perfect smile gracing his already-radiant face and knew she had not managed to infuse the look with enough anger. He stood, containing his amusement as best he could and gracefully lowered himself to her side. She shut her eyes and tried to block him out so her heart would slow its frantic pace. She felt him press against her and kiss her cheek lightly in apology.

"Whatever. You suck," was all she could manage, sounding more like a petulant child than a grown teenager as she rolled onto her side, refusing to look at him. _That's right. Feel the wrath of my rapier wit._

"Please don't be angry. I never meant to startle you," Edward claimed as he reached across her to twine their fingers together. He nuzzled her ear and whispered softly, "Won't you forgive me?" Bella opened one eye to cast what was meant to be a glare over her shoulder at him.

"Oh, come now. Don't be angry with me because you weren't paying attention. You said you wished I was here and I had no choice but to obey." He kissed her fingertips with a sultry glance up at her through his eyelashes. She looked away, already feeling the blush spread across her face. "I came early, doesn't that make you happy?"

Bella shifted onto her back, caught by his ocher eyes, obviously displaying the answer to his question the way she looked longingly at him. He smiled his crooked smile that was her favorite and leaned down to press his lips to hers, sliding an arm around her hips as he shifted his body lower, so when they broke he could lay his ear to her slowly-calming heart. It picked up its former sprint when he snuggled close, accidentally grazing her falling breast. He pretended not to notice the cause of the spike and "innocently" nuzzled against her chest, letting his nose graze the outer rim of her nearly visible peak. She inhaled sharply, but quietly at the contact, thinking Edward was unaware of how close he was coming to breaking his own physical boundary rules. But he quieted with a small smile, breathing deep to take in her lovely scent. Her momentary anger past, she ran her fingers through his coppery hair, glad to be so close to the man she loved.

After a while, she shivered a bit, chilled by the prolonged contact with his icy, marble-like skin even through their clothes. He immediately sat up and apologized, but Bella shook her head and placed her hands on his neck and cheek, meaning for him to come back down to her. Edward flashed a grin and easily lifted her back onto the bed. He was halfway through pulling the covers over her when a slight frown creased his otherwise smooth forehead.

"Charlie's home, correct?" he asked, looking past her, concentrating.

"Yeah… he should be. What's wrong?"

"I don't hear anything." He gave her a meaningful look, all light gone from his darkening eyes. She slowly sat up and stared at her lover in dawning comprehension. He couldn't hear Charlie's thoughts either. Bella jumped to her feet and ran to her bedroom door, flinging it open and starting right into a pale, rock-hard body. She fell back with a surprised yell, but Edward was there to catch her, calmly staring at his adopted sister as he restored his human girl to her feet. "What did you see, Alice?" he asked solemnly

She gave a little half-smile and stared into his eyes. His frown deepened and he quickly turned to Bella.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course," she responded at once. "What's going on? Where's –" he silenced her with a kiss and scooped her up into his arms.

"Just trust me." And he leapt out her window with Alice quick on his heels.

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_I know I know, it's been way too long. But I ran out of books to read and I'm almost done with the college semester, so I'll have plenty of time to write over the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. I'll be updating more frequently with the exception of exams week, and hopefully I'll have the patience to run this story for a bit more than 3 or 4 chapters. Thanks for stickin with me!_

_firedroplett_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_ or its sequel _New Moon_; I just like playing god with the characters. XD

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Edward landed in a crouch and let Bella transfer to his back so he could run more easily. Alice slowed, but did not stop running, and even so Edward caught up within a few seconds. Bella brooded over what Charlie's absence could mean.

"It's fine, we have him located I think, but I need to talk to Carlisle." Edward's voice penetrated the gloom of her thoughts and made her feel a little better if not completely reassured.

Within a few minutes, the two vampires slowed and trotted across a now-immaculate lawn stretching from the woods to the beautiful Cullen house. The image of the dead house, with overgrown weeds surrounding in a green wildness that spoke of her beloved's family's absence still played through Bella's mind on occasion and she squeezed Edward a little tighter to reassure herself that he wasn't going to leave her again. He let her slide to the ground and pecked her lips, wrapping an arm around her waist as they walked into the house.

Carlisle stood in the living room, with Emmett and Rosalie perched on the couch in front of him. Jasper rose from his seat on the staircase to greet Alice, looking into her eyes as he held her hand, barely noticing the presence of his brother and the human girl. Edward smiled and led Bella into the living room.

Carlisle greeted her with a fatherly pat on the shoulder. "Hello, Bella. We were just talking about you. Please, sit."

She turned, still wary and Emmett grinned and patted the cushion next to him. "Park it, human. You get to sit next to me." Rosalie flashed a tentative smile as well. They all seemed to be in fairly good moods. Except that her father was missing. Bella was not unaware of Jasper's calming presence leaving the room.

Edward noticed her mood and sat next to her on the arm of the couch, then turned to Carlisle, asking, "What about Charlie?"

"Oh, Esme is off creating a bit of a… disturbance. He's in no danger. Bella might be, however. Granted, graduation is not too far off, and if you have not changed your mind…" she shook her head. "Well then we have a few options to consider." He sighed and sat on the coffee table, forming his fingers into a steeple and resting them against his lips. " Victoria has found help. Sorry we kept you out of the loop Bella, but we didn't want you worrying, not with finals coming up within the next weeks. She doesn't seem to pose too much of a threat to Charlie, but it's preferable that he's not in the area tonight. Alice saw Victoria coming to Bella's house in the night, to distract Edward and take Bella. Victoria has been watching the last few nights, apparently using someone to whom Edward's mind is not attuned. Alice caught him when he decided to act on his own to take them. He's in the basement at the moment with Jasper, probably still out."

Edward rose and walked off, slowly for him, growling, "I'm going to see what I can find out," over his shoulder as he left. Bella had caught a glimpse of his eyes as he had stalked off. They were nearing black. Bella wondered absently if vampires could feed on their own and shivered slightly at the thought.

"Anyway," Carlisle continued after a long pause, "our options so far seem to be either changing Bella ahead of schedule, if she wishes, or moving on her coven once we can get a bit more information. Until either can be enacted, we will continue to watch the house and the humans, of course, and if we can scare them off for long enough, we may have no need to rush things." He looked pointedly at Bella, as if asking her opinion.

"Um… well…" Bella tried to keep the blood flow to her cheeks to a minimum as she responded. "There's a bit more to the deal than before. I need to talk to Edward. I suppose it depends on what info you can get from whoever you have there. I suppose I don't really mind what you choose. I'm just worried about my dad."

Edward chose that moment to reappear, a soft glower giving his eyes a dangerous look. He reseated himself on the arm of the sofa and folded his arms across his chest, propping his ankle up on the opposite knee as he did. He looked around at everyone staring at him and raised an irritated eyebrow. "What? I didn't kill him or anything." _Yet is what he means_. Bella placed a quiet hand on his arm, trying to calm him down a little. He looked down at her, his gaze softening as she blushed suddenly, wondering how they should present the new deal, to which she had not quite yet agreed, to the rest of the Cullens. Edward gave a little smile and relaxed visibly, letting his arm drop to his side in order to gently squeeze her hand, though he had no idea yet of the thoughts coursing like quicksilver through his little human lover's brain.

Bella caught Alice's eye and interpreted her grin to mean she already knew that Edward had proposed and bargained marriage for life as a vampire with him. Bella had opposed the idea at first, but his gentle persistence was hard to resist; after all, she did love him, and wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, no matter what Renee thought. Bella grinned, all thoughts of her father's danger put aside thanks to Carlisle's calm reassurances and the new taxing subject on her heart. Edward looked slowly over his shoulder at Alice with a frown, following Bella's gaze, then spun to face Bella in almost the same instant as his eyes met his sister's, shock rearranging his features.

"What? What decision did you make? Tell me." Bella avoided his gaze and coughed, using the motion to bring her hair down around her cherry-red face. Edward hopped down from the couch with a boyish energy and brushed her hair back from her face. "Something happened. Tell me," he ordered again, more softly this time, his eyes gleaming. Bella caught the edge of his gaze and tried to look away, but he held her face there firmly. "Bella, what's going on?" He looked up at his sister after her silence began to frustrate him. "Alice, tell me."

"Huh-uh. Let her say it."

"She won't though! Look at her!"

"What are we missing?" Emmett broke in, face displaying obvious confusion.

"What were you just saying?" Edward demanded, anxious, but not angry.

"Bella said something about a deal, that she needed to talk to you. Why? What did she need to talk about?" Emmett asked, curious as hell as to what was going on. Carlisle seemed to have caught on because he smiled and politely averted his gaze, knowing that Bella knew he would hear no matter where in the house the family was.

Edward sank back onto his heels staring at his girlfriend in disbelief mingled with hope. He hesitated for just a moment before reaching to gently lift her chin with his fingertips. "You will?"

Bella chewed on her lip, staring at her fingers moving without purpose in her lap until the angle of her chin forced her to relocate her gaze to Edward's burning eyes. He grinned, his crooked smile lighting up his face when he looked into her eyes, and pressed his cool lips all over her warm face before finally kissing her lips. She was embarrassed, but amused at his giddiness. She gently pushed him away, conscious of Emmett and Rosalie sitting next to her. They could probably smell the salt of her tears as they coursed down her cheeks, mostly hidden from view of all eyes but Edward's. _Her_ beautiful Edward. "You will," he said, a statement rather than a question, a hint of disbelief still coloring his awe-struck tone. She nodded and tried to huddle down to nothing under the eyes of his family. And soon to be her family. Edward kissed her cheeks, removing the stray tears still trailing slowly down her face.

"Edward said he'd turn her himself if she would marry him," Alice explained softly, sending Bella into another blush that compelled her to hide her face in Edward's chest as they both giggled with joy and he wrapped his arms around her. "And it looks like she'll be family soon."

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_yay! 2 chapters. __AND__ the plot thickens – dum dum DUUUUUMMM!! Fear makes love all the more important, doncha think? Next installment coming soon!_

_firedroplett_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_ or its sequel _New Moon_; I just like playing god with the characters. XD

_A/n: And don't forget to read over the other sections if you need to, I always do a little editing to make them better when I post a new piece._

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Bella sighed contentedly and pulled the blanket closer around her, getting cozy in Edward's lap, playing over what just happened in her head. Carlisle and the other Cullens decided it was best to try to keep the graduation time frame, and would try to move on Victoria as soon as possible. Edward had been nearly impossible, fidgeting so slightly the rest of the family probably didn't notice, but fidgeting none the less for the whole rest of the meeting. As soon as it was over, he had slowly brought her up to his room to "talk," resisting the urge to run the whole way.

Now she was sitting on his lap on the couch in his room, staring out at the darkened sky. No lights were on, but the open view provided enough natural light to make out the shapes in his room. He nuzzled against her cheek and she felt him grin again.

"What?" she asked softly, breaking the long, warm silence.

"I still can't believe that you'll really be my wife." He tilted her lips up to meet his and could barely restrain himself from crossing the boundaries he had set. His tongue slid along the edge of her lips, tasting her pleasure before she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He allowed it for the briefest of moments before he had to pull away, disentangling her from his body. He shifted to lean over her, pressing her wrists into the arm of the couch as he slid his leg between hers.

"Edward..!" she gasped in surprise. He mewled in discontent, making Bella laugh. "I don't think I've ever heard you make that sound."

"But Bella… now… it's so hard to wait now! It's never been so hard to wait. I feel like a child."

"You are a child. Just a very sophisticated one," she giggled.

He grumbled and released her, lying down on her chest. "You're mean," he pouted. She laughed again, amused as ever by his mood swings. "But… I have been thinking." Bella felt him tense against her, his body becoming rigid. She wished the lights were on so she could see his expression. "Well… I'm not sure; I haven't talked to Rosalie or Alice about it. God forbid; that would be so embarrassing. But, I know there's… well you haven't… been with anyone ever, have you?"

"W-What? Of course not," she stammered, surprised at the turn the conversation had taken. "I already told you that."

"Well… I'd been gone a while."

"I would never be with anyone else that way." He raised his head briefly to consider the serious tone to her voice.

"Thank you. But, I was thinking. You know it's really hard to hurt a vampire. And we heal really quickly and I know… there's a part of a girl that breaks her first time. So…" he looked up at her again, obviously not as hindered as she was by the night. "So I was thinking. It… may be necessary to break the rules a little before you… change." Bella's heart skipped and she was sure he could smell the flush overcoming her face and neck. "I mean, we have time, if you're not ready…."

"No. It's okay. I never thought about that. But, what happens if I bleed?"

"I can handle it. And anyway, if I'm going to change you, then it won't matter right?"

"Well if my first time is entirely painful, you may scar me for life if you change me as we're doin' it for the first time."

"You're so blunt!" She laughed lightly at his outburst.

"Um, actually, I was thinking too. About something else. You barely remember being human, right?"

"Well, some memories stand out more than others. But all memories fade with time. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to forget the first time we get married."

Edward rose and detached himself from her embrace, looking down at her, silhouetted against the large floor-length windows that comprised the whole south wall of the room. He thought for a moment, and at first she thought he was upset, but his tone was light and playful when he spoke. "You're not trying to get out of our deal, are you? You have to marry me if you want me to change you. You already said you would! So you can't go back on it." Bella laughed so hard she had to grip her sides to lessen the pain. "It's not funny! I know you, you'll try to trick me out of it. You'll make me change you for something and then put off marrying me until… who knows how long!!"

"Edward," giggle "I'm not saying it to trick you! I really just want to remember! I know I'm not ever going to forget most of the first time we make love, and even so a human memory of the occasion will probably be better than remembering every detail, but I don't ever want to forget the first time we get married. It's special."

He sat in silence, arms crossed over his chest, sitting back against the couch. The light cast a faint light across part of his face, so she could see a slight reflection in his eyes, like those of a lion caught in the beam of a flashlight. He was studying her, gauging her, and despite the trust she felt for him, Bella couldn't help thinking of herself as the prey.

"All right," he replied softly, his voice husky with emotion. "I'll change you first. But… you realize that means you won't be a virgin when you get married. Wouldn't you want to wait?"

"If it's going to be you anyway, what's the difference?" she asked.

He chuckled and she could see part of her favorite crooked smile playing across his darkened lips. "I suppose it doesn't. I'll still be the only one, right? Always?"

"Of course. And you won't go cheating on me with some random hot chick that strikes your fancy, right?"

"You are the only one I have ever felt like this for. No one else would be worthy." He bent over to kiss her lips.

"You sound so stuck up when you say it like that."

He shrugged. "So?"

She laughed and kissed him again. "So… um. When do you think we should…?" She broke off, too embarrassed to finish her question. Even without being able to read her mind, he knew what she was trying to say and kissed her forehead.

"Not until we graduate. If I slip and bite you by accident, then we can't have anyone getting suspicious. Jacob will notice otherwise and tell his tribe. Charlie will notice as well with you grounded as you are now."

"Charlie! Oh my God, Edward, I have to get home!"

"He's still out, Esme's not home yet."

"But he's going to check on me as soon as he gets home! What if we can't make it by the time Esme gets home? She doesn't know I'm here!"

"All right. No need to worry yourself. Though with Victoria prowling around again, it would be safer for you here," he argued, standing up and holding out a hand to her. Bella shivered at the thought of Victoria around her house.

"You'll stay with me though, won't you?" she asked rising and pressing against him slightly. He smiled and kissed her lips in response before taking her hand and leading her out and down the stairs.

"You know though, Victoria is not the biggest worry we have right now. I know I shouldn't bring it up, but Jacob –,"

"Jacob is not going to be a worry. I'm sure once I talk to him –,"

"You don't know the Quileute wolves well enough to make that judgment."

"I spent months with them!" Her words hit Edward with a wave of emotion that tripped up the even pace of his stride and he stumbled to a halt. He was still in front of her, leading her towards the woods at the edge of the meadow-sized lawn, though, so she could not see his expression. He sighed heavily and finally turned to face her. Pain was poorly concealed in his dark golden eyes and concern furrowed his perfect marble brow.

"You cannot fathom the response a werewolf will have towards our kind. They are against us as naturally as… fire and ice are against each other. Polar opposites, but more than that. They hate us, and the simplest remark of ours in the wrong direction would set any one of them off into a rage that would cause a transformation and possibly devastating results. And since the time of the conversation in which Jake discovered your plan to become one of us, he has most certainly told his pack mates. Which means they are preparing for war." He paused and turned again, bending down so she could climb onto his back. He took off at a run, but managed to continue talking without seeming strained.

"When you decide you want to be with us, we have to leave. For years. Decades. Until the people who knew you here are either gone or dead. When we leave here, it will be for a long time. That is why we need to wait." He ran on in silence until they reached her house, springing expertly up the wall and into her bedroom window. She could feel him taking deeper breaths, scenting the air for danger, keeping her on his back until he was sure the area was safe. When he set her down on her bed, she pulled in her knees and hugged them fiercely.

"Are you sure that's the only way it could be?" She wasn't in danger of crying this time, but she could feel a weight tugging her heart down past her stomach. Would she really not ever get to see Jacob again? Edward sat next to her on the bed and rubbed her back gently.

"I'm sorry, Bella dear. If you don't want to be… if you want to stay human, that's an option too," he said with a trace of his old hope in his voice. "I don't mind leaving you as you are." But he fell silent as she gave him a glare that would have taken away his non-life if looks could kill.

"I'm just…. It's so sad that it has to be this way. I can't help thinking there _has_ to be another way. I was hoping to visit Charlie at least…."

"He can come visit you, but we cannot come back. The wolves cannot ever find out that you became one of us by our doing if the treaty is to be maintained. And it will not seem so long. We'll have each other." He planted a soft kiss in her dark hair, and she shifted her center of balance to lean into him. He wrapped his lean, marble arms around her and rocked her softly, humming the lullaby he composed for her. Before long, the stressful night took its toll on her and she began drifting off, barely noticing the change in position when Edward laid her down on the bed and tucked her in, sliding in place next to her on top of the covers.

"Sleep for now, and I'll watch over you till morning."

"I love you, Edward." She was almost asleep as she heard his soft reply.

"I love you too, Bella."

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_Sorry there's not a whole lot going on in this section. But now you know what to expect, ne? I'm concerned with not setting things up well enough. We're starting exam time and I simply need a break. Plus, my writing's no good if I can't go back and edit. Please have patience with me!_

_And in case you didn't catch it at the top, I always edit the other parts when I post a new section, so reread if you want. Chapter 4 is in the works, nearly written, but it will take a few days for me to take a break and then come back to do some real editing._

_firedroplett_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_ or its sequel _New Moon_; I just like playing god with the characters. XD

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Weeks passed uneventfully. Victoria remained elusive and finals loomed. Edward was over much of the time, despite the grounding, and helped her study as much as he was a distraction. When school finally ended, the excitement following a whole week of exams was more than just the average graduating senior's pleasure. The time had finally come.

"What do you mean, wait?! School is over! Done! We had a deal!"

"Have you told Charlie about marrying me?"

"Well…."

"I've held off giving you an engagement ring per your request, but I absolutely will not make any move to complete my end of the bargain until a) you tell him, and b) you graduate," Edward replied stubbornly, reading a novel in the living room while Bella tugged impatiently on his sleeve.

"But Edward…!"

"No. If I have explained it once I have explained it 20 times why you have to wait."

"No, listen! School is over! The graduation ceremony is in three days, and I can skip it if need be. I mean, I'll be graduating a lot, if I'm gonna follow your example and go through school over and over, so one isn't going to matter." She grabbed the book from his hands and angrily tossed it on the floor. "Pay attention to me!"

He sighed and took her face in his long, slender fingers and pressed his cold lips to hers. "Calm down, love. Have patience. You've waited eighteen whole years before this. What is three days. Can't you stop being so irritating? We can't risk it until after the ceremony. It's important, so you can't skip it. Afterwards, no one will see you again, so it won't matter then. But if you suddenly look like I beat you and kept you in a dark closet since finals, it will cause unnecessary trouble. And if the Blacks decide to attend, it will be worse. Afterwards, we can leave without raising suspicion." He released her and his eyes narrowed slightly. "He comes sniffing around your house occasionally, you know. I can smell him in the woods around your house. He keeps a very close eye on us." He broke off, sensing her anger at the topic. Kissing her forehead, Edward stood to retrieve the book, but Bella held on to his sleeve and pulled him back down onto the couch with her.

"It's okay. I've gotten over it," she insisted. Edward smiled at the lie and pulled her into his lap. "It's just, you have no idea how hard it is to be patient." She looked into his bright tawny eyes.

"I'm that charming, am I?" He chuckled.

"Well maybe not _charming_," she joked. He frowned, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout. "Cute though." His pout softened. "But you must know by now how attracted I am to you. I love you, but you don't feel it as bad as I do. You told me yourself the human drives are buried. Heck, you've seen it. I'm getting… I dunno. Really impatient. Antsy."

"Horny?" he supplied.

"Shhh! Don't say that out loud. I am not horny."

"Yes you are, you just said so."

"Did not."

"Technicality. You meant it. 'Antsy' refers to ones pants, love." He nuzzled her neck, brushing along her jawline.

"Aren't _you_? Don't you want me?" she countered trying to frown, pretending unsuccessfully to be hurt.

"That's not fair Bella. You know I want you. But I don't… I don't want to hurt you." He looked away, embarrassed. "I'm not just worried about biting you. And… You're wrong when you say I don't feel it." He looked up at her from under his eyelashes. "I might lose control. You're so fragile, Bella. I don't want to break you. Even so, I'm impatient for you to be mine just as much."

She sighed and hugged him tight. "You won't hurt me. We won't take it that far. Just a little."

"I don't think I'd be able to stop if we started. The drive…" He paused, searching for the right words. "The feelings, the ways I want you. They all get mixed up. I want to make love to you, and keep you near me always, but I want to… hunger is the only way to describe it. The hunger for your body and the hunger for your blood go together. I'm afraid if I give in to one, I'll give in to both. That's why I want to wait to even take the first step. I know I have the self control, but I don't know that I'll be able to use it."

She rested her forehead against his. "I suppose I understand. But that doesn't change anything. I still want you."

"Good. I want you too. I never want you to stop wanting me. That would hurt my feelings." He grinned and kissed her softly.

A thump sounded lightly at the landing halfway down the stairs, and Bella looked up in time to see Alice stick a perfect landing from a jump down the last half of the stairs.

"Hey, you two better not start necking in the living room."

"Necking?" Bella asked, confused.

"What, is that too old fashioned? Making out. Tongue hockey. What else…"

"Okay okay, I get it! What did you come down for? You seem excited."

"Your dress arrived, and I wanted to show you," Alice explained, grinning.

"Absolutely not. And what dress are you talking about?" Bella asked, glaring a warning at Edward.

"What? I have nothing to do with this, so don't look at me like that," Edward protested instantly.

"Why, your wedding dress of course!" Alice piped up, chipper as could be.

"Whaaaat!?"

"Well you told me what you were looking at, so… well, come on you can see it for yourself. It's absolutely perfect!" Alice grabbed hold of Bella's hand and gently but firmly pulled her up the stairs to Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom, despite all groans and protests. The beautiful Rosalie was perched daintily on the bed, but stood gracefully as they entered, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry. She insisted. I hope you don't mind," Rosalie apologized quietly, managing to look like the envy of every angel in Heaven in a simple white turtleneck and a knee-length flowing lavender skirt. Bella grumbled under her breath, and glanced over at the white dress lying across the bed. It was a two piece, a floor-length flowing skirt made of satin and a sheer overlay, an embroidered bodice, beaded with a pattern of flowers – freesia – and swirls. The sleeves were off the shoulder and the lacy fringe on top would make her body fit into a perfect heart shape, the point of which seemed to direct attention to the implied object of the conversation she had just ended with Edward. Sexy and elegant, it seemed just right in a way Bella would not have thought possible. As she looked over the dress in silence, tears brimmed over in her eyes and she threw her arms around Alice, who was still beside her, judging her reaction.

"Thank you. You shouldn't have, and I'm angry at you for spending money on me, but… it's perfect. Thank you so much." Alice giggled as Bella sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes. Rosalie placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly, and Bella surprised her with a hug as well. "I don't know that I deserve something this beautiful."

"You're family now, dear," Esme said, appearing at the door as Bella released Rosalie. Alice, who had skipped off to Rose's bathroom, returned and wiped Bella's eyes with a washcloth, kissing her cheek.

"You better not blub like this when you two get married. You'll ruin any makeup you decide to wear with _this_ many tears." They all laughed and Rosalie moved to cover the dress again with the clear plastic protector. Alice led Bella back down the stairs and Edward rose from his seat when they reached the bottom, startled by Bella's still-pink eyes. He had been reading and tuning out the conversation upstairs, knowing he was not allowed to see the dress until it was on his bride at the ceremony. After all, they didn't need any more bad luck.

"What did you do to her? Was the dress that bad?" Edward said, placing his hands on Bella's shoulders, alarm showing on his face, but humor in his eyes nearly ruining the expression. Alice growled low in her throat and turned to walk back up the stairs as Edward chuckled happily. "So?" he asked his bride-to-be happily. "What did you think?"

"Have you seen it?" she asked, suspicious.

"Of course not. It won't look nearly as good on the hanger anyway."

"Oh." She turned away, leading him back to the couch so he couldn't see her thrill at the compliment. "Well then you might as well wait. I'm happy though, it's great."

He stared at her with an eyebrow raised. "Great? That's it?"

"No, I mean, it's beautiful. I just… every time I think of having to tell my parents…." She caught his expression and amended quickly. "I'm not ashamed of you, but you know what happened to my parents. They jumped the gun and now my mom is against me getting married before I'm like 35. It's going to be hard to convince her that this is a good idea."

"Mmm."

"Hey it's not like you've been married before! Don't you have the jitters?"

"Of course not. You're already my 'mate' as it were, so making it official is not really a large step." He picked up his book and found his place. "Besides, I've been to Emmett and Rosalie's weddings so I know how the ceremony goes and all that. My family approves, so there's nothing I should be jittery about." He glanced up and saw Bella staring down at her hands. "I am excited, but not yet impatient."

Bella sighed and rubbed her face with her hands, trying to find her resolve. "Fine, we can… tell them today. Will you come with me to talk to Charlie?"

"Of course."

"But I want you to wait outside in the car until I say so." Edward looked less pleased with that condition, but agreed to that as well once Bella explained that she wouldn't know about Charlie's initial reaction, given the past history between them. "All right," she sighed and made a little groan of discontent. "Can I use your phone?"

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_Yay! Finally got around to fixing the ending. Man all the comments are really nice, I love hearing that you like my story, but something that makes me feel rushed is when I'm told to update soon. I hate the way my work turns out when I rush so I'm very sorry about how much time I take to crank out another piece. I hope you can forgive the time lapse between updates, but with 17 hours this semester. At least now I have a plan for future chapters. There will be at least 3 long ones and a couple short in between, so just keep me listed in your mind as something to check every now and then!! Thank you again for all the support, and as always, critiques are welcome._

_firedroplett_


	5. Author's Note

Hey there!

Mmk, I know it's been forever and a half since the last time I posted. sigh I'm so lazy. Actually, I just finished my first year of college, and get to keep my scholarship because I put my nose to the books! I've actually been writing on other stories as well as this one in my spirals and notebooks.

I've been kinda stuck as far as where I want this one to go. I have later chapters completely planned out, but I need all the in-between stuff it's so hard for me to do!!

So tell me, (I need some help)…

What kind of wedding would you like? Eloping off to Vegas last second? A big beautiful wedding with everyone there? A private family wedding with just Charlie and the vamps? Or.. maybe not charlie XD

Help me out! And in the meantime, I'll work out some in betweens and give you a few more chapters. Expect one later this week!!


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own _Twilight_ or its sequel _New Moon_; I just like playing god with the characters.

_A/n: A little lemon in this chapter, hopefully it's still tasteful. There will be a strictly pr0n chapter most likely, but this isn't it._

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Graduation was finally upon them. How Bella had waited for this day. She had tried hard not to skip down the stairs this morning, fearing she would trip and break her neck right before all her dreams came true. But her grin simply wouldn't go away, and though Charlie misinterpreted it as being happy to be out of high school (which she was), she was more excited about what was coming after.

Edward arrived to pick her up in a pink button-up shirt (which she laughed at) and dark grey slacks, leaving his gown and the stupid hat in the car. Alice, who was in full graduation attire like her soon-to-be sister, waved from the driveway. They had decided to take the special events car since the forecast for later in the afternoon included spots of sunshine, but there was sufficient cloud cover at the moment to allow the two "younger" Cullens to participate in the ceremony. Bella gave Charlie a quick kiss on the cheek and skipped out of the house, rushing to the car and Alice's open arms.

"I missed you! This ogre's been keeping you all to himself lately!" Alice exclaimed happily, grinning at the pout on Edward's face.

He placed his hands on Bella's hips and pulled her back against him as Alice released her from a strong embrace, sticking his tongue out at his sister. "She's mine anyway."

Bella blushed and cleared her throat. "We'll be late for the… thing," she mumbled as she made her way to the passenger side door. Edward caught her before she got there and pulled her into a passionate kiss before helping her in. Alice chuckled musically as Edward moved around to the driver's seat and Bella covered her face to hide the blush.

"You know we can smell it anyway," Alice reminded her, patting her shoulder in mock sympathy.

"Oh cut it out, Alice, she's embarrassed enough already," Edward admonished, trying unsuccessfully to hide a self-satisfied smirk.

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They pulled up to the town's special events center just as a line was starting to form from students arriving at the same time. With such a small graduating class, they arrived only a half hour before the parents would be coming by to find a seat. The principal of Forks high gave them a speech about how they would be going into the world as adults, so they needed to act like adults– meaning no tricks, no nudity under the graduation gowns, and a simple walk to the center of the stage or else no diploma. Some students groaned and sighed at that, but Bella was busy thinking about what had happened the other night….

"_Absolutely not!" _

_Bella sighed. This was the expected reaction, but she had hoped Charlie would take it a bit better and stay open-minded. Though she had not exactly been happy with the decision to be married so early, her mom had already seen how madly in love Edward was with her and held no grudges about their past as Charlie did. With a little charm from Edward, Renee had given in and blessed them both. Unfortunately Charlie was now up and pacing the living room, running his hands through his thinning hair, glaring at Edward who was standing just inside the doorway. _

"_Dad..," Bella started, regretting changing her condition last minute, when Edward said he wanted to ask for her hand properly._

"_This is crazy! Have you even really thought about what it means to be married?"_

"_Of course I have. And even if I hadn't, mom told me at least 20 times already."_

"_You've spoken to Renee already?" Charlie asked, pausing in his pacing. "What did she say?"_

"_She said it was our choice. That we have our own lives to live." Though she didn't really know how loose the term "lives" could be applied. Charlie thought about that a moment and sighed, heavily conflicted._

"_Chief Swan," Edward spoke up quietly, "I realize you and I have not had the best relationship, and I've made…" he glanced at Bella "grave mistakes. But I am not so foolish as to make them a second time. I'm completely serious about marrying your daughter, sir. I love her."_

_Charlie eyed them both skeptically. "Bella, I need to talk to him alone for a bit. I'm not going to be mean, I just need to have a man to man talk, okay?" he explained as she raised her eyebrow and began to protest. Bella glanced over at Edward, who nodded, and tromped out of the room. Well at least he seems to be warming up to the idea. I guess arguing won't make it any better, she thought as she sat at the kitchen table, far enough away that she couldn't overhear if they whispered, but close enough to eavesdrop if their voices carried._

_Unfortunately, Edward seemed to have seen where she left to, because all she heard was quiet mumbling. After ten minutes that seemed like hours, her vampire lover appeared behind her, kissing her ear and wrapping his arms around her shoulders. _

"_Can I give you a ring now?" he teased quietly, grinning as he tilted her face up to meet his._

"Isabella Swan!"

"Wha..? Oh, present."

Edward turned around in his seat, rows ahead of her as he sat at the head of the class, and gave her a questioning smile. She chose it ignore him and stared at the wall off to her left. Mike Newton, just a row ahead of her, was also quite aware of her and was looking forlornly at the white-gold band around her left ring ringer when he thought she wasn't looking. She glanced down at it, and took it off to see the engraved "I love you Bella" along the inside rim. Edward had wanted to get her a diamond, but Bella didn't need Alice's foresight to know he would go overboard, so she said she only wanted something simple, like the one she would be giving him, so they matched. He grumbled agreement after she refused to change her mind, and settled on the silver-look-alike material and the engraving. They practiced rising in unison and she slipped the ring back on her finger, prepared for an extremely boring ceremony.

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"….. I now pronounce you all… 'graduates'."

There was a roar of happy shouts as all 40 or so students, no longer high school seniors, threw their caps into the air as one. Bella didn't bother looking for hers as she waited for Edward, who was shaking hands and being congratulated for his speech as he made his way to the stairs and over to Bella as fast as he could manage. He scooped her up in a happy embrace and twirled her around before setting her back on her feet and kissing her forehead.

She stuck out her lip in a pout as he pulled away. "That's it?"

He smiled and leaned to whisper in her ear, "If I got started here, your father with the video recorder would have a show he probably doesn't want to see."

Blushing madly, she turned away to try to find the exit that led to the parking lot.

"Bells! Heading out before I get pictures of my lovely daughter?"

"Of course she's not!" Edward called back to Charlie, gently keeping Bella from running. "Oh, by the way… I've got a surprise for you. We'll be switching cars at the house, if you're willing to accept."

He gave her that beautiful crooked smile as she looked up at him in surprise and guided her over to her father.

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Leaving their graduation gowns in the jeep, Edward insisted on carrying her to the beautiful field where he first showed her his reaction to the sun and she saw Laurent again for the second time. There were such mixed feelings for her there that they almost overwhelmed the happiness she was feeling at being alone with him. He seemed to sense her inner turmoil and encircled her in his arms, kissing her neck lightly.

"I can't believe it's really over," she said quietly, staring out over the landscape of her memories.

"It's not," Edward whispered in her ear, "at the risk of sounding cheesy, this is just the beginning."

Bella giggled and turned to face him just as the sun appeared from behind the clouds and made his skin light up like diamonds. "Nice try, Casanova, but I meant high school. All school, for a while anyway. The… stuff with Jacob too… I thought maybe he would show up." Edward stroked her hair and pressed his lips to hers. "But I guess now we can move on, right?"

"It hurts you to know we'll be leaving," he said matter-of-factly.

"Did you lift that from my mind?" she joked half-heartedly.

"I can still only hear a few things," he admitted with a smile, "but I don't need my gift or Jasper's to know how you're feeling. It shows on your face."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm a regular open book, am I?"

He chuckled and kissed her again, stripping off the pink shirt he had been wearing. She laughed again at his choice in fashion, earning a grumpy "Shut it" as he walked off to lay down in the freshly bloomed flowers. Grinning evilly, she also took off her shirt and laid down next to him, snuggling up close to make sure he couldn't miss the touch of her skin on his. He half moved away in surprise at her assertiveness, her name softly escaping his lips as she closed the distance with a kiss. Edward lay back down on the ground after a moment's pause, gradually growing more confident that he could control his lust for her body and her blood. Bella nearly broke down his defenses though when she slid her hand down to unbutton his pants.

"Hey!"

Bella looked startled. "What's wrong?"

"I.. uh..!" He looked away, suddenly nervous. "You surprised me."

She sighed heavily. "Do you not want to?"

"Are you joking?"

"Then don't look like I'm raping you. It kind of puts a damper on the mood."

Edward laughed loudly, "You! Rape me? As if you could!"

Bella raised an eyebrow and unzipped his pants. "Careful, I may just try it," she threatened with a smile.

Edward rolled her onto her back with a movement faster than she could see and pinned her arms above her head with one hand, letting the other slowly slide her skirt up her leg. "Can't rape the willing, you know," he commented lightly, enjoying the sight of his presence intoxicating her. He brushed his lips against hers as he moved her skirt up higher and shifted his hand between her legs, feeling her grow wet through the fabric of her underwear. She moaned his name into his mouth as she leaned up to kiss him, pressing her body against him. He grumbled as he remembered she still had on the bra and quickly unhooked it, drawing it off over her head before she could protest. The hand that had pinned her arms glided under her back and held her bare chest up against his cold skin as they kissed, and Bella cried out in shock. He lowered her at once, forgetting for a moment that the extreme warmth to him that felt so good was due to his deathly chill. She smiled softly at his embarrassment and guided his hand gingerly to her chest, letting him know it had just been a surprise to her too.

Her breasts perked up under his hands and he found she kind of enjoyed the temperature difference when she was expecting it. He leaned down and feathered kisses over her body; her neck, the slopes of her breasts, pausing only a moment at the pink nipples before moving down to her belly. Bella pulled him back up to her lips and moved her hands down to the edge of his pants.

"May I?" she asked breathlessly, and with a soft, embarrassed smile he smiled and rested his head against her shoulder, shifting so she could maneuver the fabric down a bit. He gasped a little as her warm hand came in contact with his skin, her fingers trailing along his length as she freed it from the cottony bonds.

He was surprised to hear her giggle slightly and immediately put it away and sat up. "No! oh, Edward, I'm sorry I couldn't help it!! I've never… seen one. And it's so… you know?"

"No, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. I can't hear what you're thinking and laughing at it does not help," he grumbled, hurt and embarrassed.

"I didn't mean anything bad. It's… bigger... than I expected."

"You realized you're implying you didn't expect much."

"I didn't know what to expect! Edward, I didn't mean for you to take it that way, really. I like it." She hugged him from behind, pressing her chest against his bare back. "Please don't be mad. I was just… nervous I guess."

"Why were _you_ nervous?" he shot back, turning and trying not to glare.

"Because that's… going in me, right?" she said quietly, hiding her blush against his back. "And I was just thinking how, you know, in biology… well it's not the same. I hadn't expected it to be so big and just… erect –," she giggled again, "I mean…! I'm sorry! Really I am. I don't mean to laugh at it. Please don't be mad."

He covered his face with his hands and sighed. "You are so _childish_… but I guess it's better than you meaning to laugh…" he turned gingerly and saw her peeking out from behind his shoulder. "Ugh, I can't look at you. Now _I'm_ starting to think it's funny."

Bella giggled again and let her hands move back down to the edge of his pants. "So… can I touch it?"

"It's gone down."

"What, really? Can I see then?"

"No! What is wrong with you?" he said, laughing. "If you laughed when it was… at its best, I'm not letting you see it when it's not."

"But I've gotten used to it now. I promise I won't laugh. Or think of that word anymore." Her mouth twitched as she tried not to smile.

"You're hopeless."

"Edward!!" She moved around in front of him and pushed him onto his back, straddling his hips. "You have to let me, or I'm not letting you up."

He looked off to the side and stared at the trees. "I can control myself."

She wiggled her hips as she shifted down to kiss his neck and trail her tongue along his collar. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, pushing her torso up off him. She sighed heavily and lay down on top of him anyway. "I'll torture you," she threatened, but got no response from Edward. She smiled as his body betrayed him with a slightly swelling further down and she decided to push him out of his little charade of indifference with a bite to his neck.

As soon as she released her bite, she found herself back on the ground, the vampire glaring black into her eyes as he hovered above her. "Don't. do. that." he said seriously. Bella was afraid she had gone too far when the tension abruptly broke as his erection bumped against her leg. He let his head fall to the ground beside hers as he mumbled "oh, god" into her shoulder. Bella clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.

"What timing," he chuckled, kissing her cheek. "You can laugh if you want."

She turned to look at him, smiling as she noted his eyes were a bit lighter. "Hey, since it's back up…" she trailed off and wrapping one arm around his shoulders, let her hand slip into his pocket.

"You can't look," he replied quickly.

"Okay," she said seductively, moving her hand to rub him through the slacks. "but you know, these nice pants are probably getting all dirty here in the meadow… you should probably take them off."

He grunted something unintelligible and let her kiss him as his pants slid down his legs. She squeezed his firm ass as she moved her hand back to the front of his underwear, getting a smile out of him. His tongue slipped gingerly into her mouth as her hand found the opening and he moaned as she again brought him out to the open and palmed him. He gently found her hand and showed her how to grip it before moving to her hips and snapping off her underwear.

"Hey..!" she tried to protest, but was cut off by his fingers parting her and slipping inside. She arched up off the ground and clenched her hands so that he had to pin them down against her stomach. "I'm aah!.. sorry, Edward."

"It's okay, I don't need it," he whispered into her ear as he gently prepared her. When he thought she was probably wet enough, he positioned himself at her entrance and let her calm down a bit.

"Are you sure this is what you want, Bella?" he asked quietly, brushing her hair back from her eyes. She nodded and pulled him close to her, pressing her eyes closed as he pressed into her. The pain was unlike anything she had expected, so much so that her eyes began to water.

"Bella, you have to relax or I can't get in," he whispered into her ear after a moment. "I can stop if it hurts too much."

She released the grip she had on his shoulders and gently moved her hands across his chest, trailing her fingertips across the sparkling flesh. "I'm fine," she said and smiled as he closed his eyes, waiting quietly for her body to relax around him. When he finally felt her muscles release some of their hold, he gently but quickly thrust inside her, trying to ignore the guilt at the pain he was causing her. She arched her back and cried out, digging her nails into the skin of his chest. Realizing that he broke completely through her barrier, he buried his face in her hair and neck, hoping that the scent of her blood could be held off until he pressed the rest of the way in and held his breath. She clutched at his shoulders and grimaced a bit as he fully penetrated her and then tried to relax when he stopped pushing and laid his body against hers, still supporting most of his weight off her. She wrapped her arms around him, and let her muscles go a bit at a time, till she could only feel a dull throbbing ache inside her.

"You can try and move a little now, if you like," she told him softly, aware he couldn't ask and wouldn't answer. He kissed her neck and tried a few gentle thrusts, moving slowly so he wouldn't hurt her again. The movement hurt anyway, but she endured in the hope it would get better. When it didn't, he completely removed himself and she slumped against the grass in exhaustion. He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, wiped himself and her thighs, then gently laid the cloth over her privates to be polite, even after how close they had just been. He closed her legs and moved her onto her side before lying next to her. He kissed her damp forehead and pushed her hair back from her face.

"Was that very difficult for you?" Bella asked after a while.

"There was no blood, my love," he whispered against her skin.

"None?" she asked, surprised. "But I thought…"

"So did I. But you didn't bleed. I know I broke through, but… I guess not all girls do." He paused and studied her face. "You're… okay with this?"

"With not bleeding? Yeah, it's great."

He rolled his eyes. "With not being a virgin anymore. We're… not…."

She saw his embarrassed face before he hid it in her hair and giggled. "I know. It's kind of a weird thought, isn't it? I'm sure especially for you, since it's been so long." She hugged him tight and felt him smile against her. "But I'm okay with it. More than okay, since it's you. You're the only man I will ever want. My first and my last."

"My first and my last," he whispered back to her, tilting her head up to meet his. But his lips froze against hers and he sat up before she even knew he had moved. "Victoria is downwind. We need to move now. She can smell you and is coming here. Quickly." He was properly dressed in another half-second and was helping Bella to her feet.

"Edward, I can't!" she exclaimed as her legs began to give out underneath her. He scooped her and her discarded clothing up in his arms and ran off as fast as he could towards the Jeep, his breathing hard having nothing to do with running as his eyes showed fear more intense than any time Bella could remember in the years she had known him.

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_Yes yes, I know I took forever, but this chapter was so hard to write!! I was halfway done with it (this was 4 weeks ago, when I promised to have it done) and I just got so annoyed I scrapped all but the flashback. It was just so… gross. I couldn't figure out how to progress the story. So in true procrastinator fashion, I skipped it and moved ahead in time. XD_

_This was actually done a week ago, but… I uh… went on vacation. Sorry. _

_Anyway, I hope you like how it turned out. A bit of lemon, a bit of romance (finally) and danger to spice! Woohoo on to the next chapter. And the WEDDING! Btw thanks so much for your votes. It was exactly even for the two runner-ups and the final scenario chosen won by a single vote. Which happened to be mine. ;; So I hope you like how it works out_

_Expect maybe 3(?) or so more chapters. I don't plan on going past 10, but we'll see. Whatever it takes!_

_firedroplett_


	7. Chapter 6

_I figure the disclaimer can take a hike this far into it… if you don't already know who owns the series, you haven't been reading this. lol._

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"Carlisle!!" Edward barely raised his voice as he called through the house, but it contained all of the turmoil he was feeling. Bella clung uncertainly to his arm, their hands clasped tightly. It was as though after the bond they had shared, he was scared to lose her touch as death came so close to her.

_I'm running right into it though_, she thought with amusement at the irony.

Carlisle looked a bit concerned as he came rushing down the stairs and within seconds it seemed, Edward had explained everything in words too fast for Bella's human ears to pick up. She stared blankly instead as Edward's emotional conversation translated to his body. Though the arm she was holding remained more or less perfectly still, the rest of her lover's body moved with its natural superhuman speed. With her eyes unfocused, she could almost see him move out of the corner of her eye.

_Will I be like that soon?_ She blushed suddenly, thinking of how casually she named him her lover now. _We really are lovers, aren't we? Fiancée…. Soon to be his wife… I wonder why it never hit me before…._

"Bella?" Carlisle's gentle question pulled her out of her reverie. "Bella you look a bit flushed. Are you okay? And you smell a bit different too," he commented as he took her face gently in his hands. Edward's cheeks turned a barely pink and he turned away with a look of embarrassment on his face. Carlisle frowned at him, unsure of why he was blushing until he placed the "odd" smell and dropped the subject. He smiled with fatherly affection on his boy and when Bella giggled nervously at the impossibly adorable scene, Edward simply said "ugh!" and hid his face in his hand.

"Sorry," Carlisle said with a chuckle, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. Edward looked at Bella sideways through his fingers, trying to judge her reaction to the older man knowing about them. Bella's smile was somewhat sad though as she read the lingering frantic look from his usually enigmatic eyes. Edward looked away and his pink glow faded, replaced by a look that made it seem he would cry if he could. Carlisle noted the difference and turned to Bella.

"It's time, isn't it?" she said with a small voice.

He placed his other hand on her shoulder. "It's still your decision."

"My decision still hasn't changed," she replied matter-of-factly. Edward pulled her aside and sat on the arm of the couch, leveling out their heights so they looked directly into each other's eyes.

"You can stay human, we can run away together…," _Please,_ his eyes finished the statement.

"I want to stay like this. With you. Forever. I can't do that as a human, and you know that."

Edward looked sadly into her eyes and pulled her into a strong embrace, pressing his cool cheek against her warm one. He held her as though he would never hold her again, and when they pulled away, a tear coursed down his cheek. He wiped it away with a look of confusion, and then noticed the source, wiping her eyes gingerly.

"I love you, Edward," she whispered through the emotional haze.

"You are my life now," he repeated back to her, trying to smile her favorite crooked smile and not getting it quite right. She looked to find Carlisle and noted he had gone without a word. "He's preparing," Edward explained softly. He looked so pained to hear his own words.

Bella grabbed his face roughly in her hands and made sure they could only look directly into each other's eyes. "This is what I want. Do you hear? I'm not going to die —"

"Well actually you will—"

"You know what I mean, I'm going to wake up and you'll be right there. Everything will be fine. You'll be fine. You won't kill me for good, you won't ruin my soul. You once said you weren't human but you were still a man. Be that man, Edward and we'll be all right." _I'll be all right._

Edward looked deep into her eyes and smiled a genuine smile. "You're right. We'll be all right." He chuckled softly. "How silly; a man who has lived a hundred years being reassured by a little girl."

"I'm not little!"

"You are to me… and it's just the way I like you," he said sweetly, embracing her once again, lips, body and soul. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he stood over her, holding her to his chest, taking in the scent of her hair, raising her wrist to his lips as he smelled her blood and kissed her pulse. "I'll miss this," he said more to himself than to her, lowering himself to his knees before her and burying his face in her clothing as he held her against him. She ran her fingers through his coppery hair, making no appreciable change in the perpetual state of perfect messiness. She couldn't help smiling a little as a rumbling "mmm…" came from her shirt-tails.

"You know, you really do smell like sex," Edward's muffled voice commented from her middle.

"We didn't even do much," Bella reminded him, rolling her eyes, but meeting him on her knees self-consciously all the same.

"I'll fix that next time," he replied with a smile, pulling her body against his in a passionate kiss that seemed to send her mind reeling as their bodies and lips connected perfectly, fitting as though they were two pieces of a puzzle. Meant to be. He let her tongue explore his mouth experimentally and slipped his between her parted lips, trying to become as much a part of the other as decency allowed. He slid his hand down her back and smiled slightly as he gripped her ass, earning him a short muffled moan from Bella. She tried to ignore him and tangled her hands in his hair, determined to get as much out of him as she could before he couldn't take the strain on his nerves anymore. He didn't hold back though, his love protecting her from the beast he may accidentally unleash.

They finally parted with a last, chaste kiss and he hugged her as tight as he could without hurting her, painfully aware of her fragile humanity. She threw herself back into the hug, trying to show him just how much she loved and trusted him. He pulled away and looked up the stairs quietly.

"Ready?" Bella asked, though she already knew the answer. Edward confirmed it with a nod, "Though I'm not sure ready is a good word," he added and helped her stand, keeping her small hand enveloped in his. "Um… Edward?" she called quietly as he began to walk away. He turned in silence to look at his beloved. "Will you carry me?"

"Carry you?" he repeated, somewhat surprised by the request.

"Well you know… the first time you touched me on purpose was when you carried me to the nurses' office that one time—"

He smiled at the memory. "You said you could smell the blood."

"Well, yeah, it's gross."

"That will be interesting."

"…. anyway. I was just wondering," she said uncertainly, looking at the ground.

He tilted her chin up to meet his and kissed her lips sweetly before scooping her up in his arms. She hugged his neck fiercely and he nuzzled her hair, taking in the last of her humanity it seemed. He carried her up the stairs to Alice's bedroom, where Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper were there waiting for her. Carlisle rose from the bed and Edward shifted her onto his lap as he sat down.

"How do you want this, Edward?" the older man asked quietly.

"I'll do it. Just stop me if I go too far," he whispered back, having only eyes for Bella. He wondered absently if any of the warmth of those large brown eyes would stay after the turn. She took a deep, shaky breath before setting herself and nodding. He smiled as he saw everything she was thinking on her face. He glanced up at Jasper, who smiled and nodded, already not breathing so he could be of help in dampening the bloodlust in case things got out of hand. Jasper seemed to close his eyes in meditation as Alice put a gentle hand over his, smiling at the couple in reassurance.

Edward turned back to meet his girl's gaze. "You know I love you, Bella."

She smiled and nodded. "I'll see you when I wake up."

He gently unbuttoned her shirt and left her in the tank top and bra she had been wearing under her graduation uniform. It seemed so far away now, high school and all the drama of the past years. He slipped the straps off one shoulder and brushed her hair back, gently kissing where her neck sloped down to her shoulders. She draped her arm over him and lifted his chin slightly.

"Wait, I want you to try to promise me something."

"Anything." His eyes were so cold and distant now.

"Promise me you won't listen."

"What?" he seemed to come back slightly and frowned at her.

"Well… it hurts, right? I don't want you to just… listen to it. Block it out. Do whatever you have to, but don't just… don't torture yourself with it. This is _my choice_. Okay?"

He looked back blankly for a minute before sighing heavily. "I'll do what I can."

She hugged him close and he kissed her neck again sweetly. "Love you, Edward," she whispered in his ear.

He paused only a second before he bit into her soft flesh. She cringed at the pain and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt as hot venom flowed into her muscles and blood trailed down her chest. He hadn't broken any arteries so blood oozed rather than gushed into his mouth, but she could feel as the heat, the burning began to move towards her heart. She whimpered and tried not to cry out, but the pain grew steadily worse. She could feel Edward trying not to drink much as his venom penetrated her body, could feel the beast inside each of them fighting to break through within her lover. He pulled her body close, sinking his teeth in deeper, searching for more of the warm life flowing into his mouth. She cried out in pain, no longer able to hold back as the burning reached new heights and moved towards her heart. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks and it was the steady drops on his shoulder than brought Edward back to her. He pulled back abruptly, not being able to resist moving back in to lick the trail of dark red liquid coursing down to her collar. Before he could bite down again, he quickly moved her down onto the bed, where Carlisle had gauze waiting to stop the bleeding. Edward stepped away quietly, his every muscle tense, crying out for more of Bella's sweet life. The intoxicating scent, the wonderful taste in his mouth was almost more than he could take. He opened a window and fell to his knees, gripping the windowsill as though her life depended on it, because the fragile human's life did seem to depend on that sill, the doorway to outside. He nearly jumped out to get away from the smell, to keep himself from unleashing every instinct fighting for control of his body.

But suddenly it was easier. A breeze blew in through the window and though he could still taste it, the smell of her blood was no longer in the air. Esme was next to him with a hand on his shoulder and he could feel Jasper's calming influence. He felt sleepy, thought he knew he could not sleep, and as Bella fell under his influence as well, the screams downgraded to a soft whimper. He stood from the window and cleared his head as best he could before heading to sit at Bella's side.

As he walked across the room, he caught his reflection in the mirror and was disgusted by the red-eyed monster he found staring back at him. He stomped back to the window and spat out his disgust at the creature of his reflection. Alice, closer than anyone of the others could ever be to him, looked at him with her bright ocher eyes.

"She needs you. She'll need you more desperately soon. Go while she sleeps and come back when you're fed," Alice commanded in her sweet musical voice. Edward nodded slightly though he had just fed a day ago and left the house, running with an abandon he had never known before. He ran from his troubles until he could run no more, and found himself close to the Quileute reserve. He turned to go back when he caught Victoria's scent once more. She had followed him and was now nearby. He growled deeply, resenting her for having forced this course of action on him, on them, for forcing this pain on Bella. He turned to stalk her quietly, using every bit of the tracking experience he had picked up in his time away from the love now suffering in his sister's room.

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Alice tried to calm Bella down as she thrashed in the sheets, nearly reopening the healing wound on her shoulder. The deep fang marks were clearly visible still, though the bite had been the first site on her body to begin the change. Bella's face looked gaunt and strained and it took every bit of her reserve to sit by the dying human while her brother was away. The others had all left, and while Carlisle had checked in not too long ago, she couldn't help wanting Edward to come back to take care of the girl. Her screams were becoming too much for Alice to take.

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Carlisle was sitting by Bella's bed when he heard Edward come home. She was breathing heavily, having run out her voice over the past two days of change. Carlisle frowned as he smelled vampire blood, unsure at first that what his senses were telling him was real. As Edward walked up the stairs and he caught sight of his blood-covered adopted son though, doubt turned to concern and he rushed over to him as he leaned against the door frame.

_What happened?_ Carlisle thought frantically. _Are you okay?_

Edward's stoic stone face revealed nothing, but as Carlisle examined him, he saw no cuts to account for all the blood.

"Victoria is no longer a threat to our coven," he commented shortly as he moved to Bella's side, never touching the sheets or her reclining body. "She looks weak. How much longer?"

_She's still got some time left before the change is finished... Moments of lucidity come and go, but she'll wake up for a while soon, right before the end. You may want to shower before that_.

"Yes," Edward replied shortly, and left. Within 5 minutes he had showered and changed, removing the blood and its smell from his body. He had calmed too, though he was still visibly upset. He noted the nearly-healed scar on her neck and searched for the others he knew to be there. The half-moon on her palm had plumped up to be even with the rest of her skin, though it felt as though the scar's unique temperature had invaded the rest of her body. He leaned down to kiss her still-soft lips. And like a fairy-tale princess, she opened her eyes at the touch of her true love.

Her smile lifted the clouds hovering over his head and behind his eyes and he nearly smiled back before her features rearranged as she felt the burning pain that was still with her in the change.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she grunted and whined. She gripped his hand and managed a weak smile when he looked into her eyes, which looked more like earth than the burgundy color that was invading towards the pupils from outside.

"Love you," she whispered. Edward's face screwed up with pain and she reached out to touch him gently.

"You're so wonderful… I can't—" he cleared his throat as emotion tried to constrict it. "I can't believe that's what you're thinking. If… if I hadn't been here—" she silenced him with her fingertips. He faced her sullenly, and she pulled him down to her level. He separated himself against her protests long enough to move across the bed and lay down beside her. Bella smiled again and gratefully pressed against his cool skin, pressing aside the open button-up he had on. "I'll be here till you wake up. You don't have long now. It will be over soon," he reassured her. He listened to her heartbeat, waited for it to slow, then stop completely. He never imagined it would be so hard to hear her last breaths, to hold her corpse as she died in his arms. He cried without tears for the human girl he had cared so much for.

She twitched as some do in their final minutes before sleep and her breathing hitched slightly as it resumed, though her heartbeat was very conspicuously absent. Her blood scent had changed over the course of the night, but he wasn't surprised when it still smelled lightly of the flowers it resembled while she had been properly alive. The low hum her mind had become for him as she opened up to him had stopped when she had died, and he noted that it didn't resume for him now. He probably would never get that back. Bella opened her eyes and looked up at Edward cautiously. He stared back at her, unsure of what to say. She smiled and snuggled against his chest, still soft despite the new hardness to her skin. Edward hugged her back gently, but squeezed harder when she pulled against him with all her might.

Alice knocked lightly on the door frame, and Bella sat up quickly with a large grin on her face that turned to awe. "Whoa…" she shot her hand out and laughed merrily. "Look at me! Wow!" Alice couldn't help laughing out loud, a happy tinkling sound, at Bella's childish joy. She had been so afraid what the change might do to her personality that the relief from watching Bella's exuberance was hard to contain. She ran over and hugged Alice tightly, surprised when she actually stumbled backwards a little bit. They giggled happily and Bella whispered, "All better now," so that only Alice could hear.

"Welcome back," Carlisle said with a smile, appearing out of nowhere.

Edward came up behind Bella and placed his arms around her shoulders, still treating her gently, though not with the caution of when she had been human. She leaned back into him and looked up into his beautiful face, no longer pained. He met her eyes, searching for her mind's voice, trying to fathom what she was thinking. She smiled at the familiar expression. "It's harder to guess with your eyes like this," he commented in explanation.

"Oh!" Bella exclaimed, suddenly excited to see how her looks had changed. She rushed to the adjacent bathroom to see her reflection. "Eew!"

Edward peeked in the door at her exclamation. "What? Why eew?" He looked offended.

"I'm sweaty and gross! Get out!" she said shortly and shoved him away to shut the door.

He put his foot in the opening and raised an eyebrow at her. "That's it?"

"Let me wash up, I don't want you looking at me like this!" She insisted, hiding behind the wall.

He laughed and opened the door easily, closing it behind him. "I won't look then," he murmured while he turned on the shower. She whined hesitantly.

"What, don't you trust me? You can't really be embarrassed about taking a shower with me," he chided, adjusting the temperature and turning around to reach for her. She moved into his touch when he found her with his outstretched arm and allowed him to undress her with his eyes shut tight. His hands moved sensuously over her bare skin, and she could smell her body becoming aroused though he was not being sexual. She moved against him, realizing he wouldn't need to hold back, and leaned up to kiss him. He slid his hands across her bare back and pulled her into him, kissing her with abandon. She quickly removed his clothing, biting her lip when his pants slid below his hips. He self-consciously covered himself and moved her to the shower.

She stepped into the water and sighed erotically as the shower washed away the uncertainty of her decision and scent of her humanness forever. Edward stepped in behind her after a moment, holding her hips as he kissed the barely-visible discoloration from his bite. She turned to face him, smiling as his golden eyes met hers.

"You know, I imagined moments like this, but I must say, it's nothing compared to the real thing. You look so sexy," he whispered against her lips, pressing her wet body to his dry skin. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tried to absorb him into her, encouraging his tongue into the kiss, into her mouth, moving to lean against the chilled wall. He responded perfectly, leaning into her, exploring her mouth without hesitation. He suddenly pulled her roughly up from the wall crushing his mouth to hers, moving down to suck on her ear and neck, grasping her breast firmly in his palm as she arched into him.

"Edward…ah…" Bella moaned quietly, tangling her fingers in his dripping locks as the shower beat down on them, making their bodies slick. He grabbed her hips and lifted her up onto him, pressing her back against the linoleum. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he reached lower to line himself up. He kissed her again and penetrated her mouth as easily as slipped into her body. She cried out, her voice vibrating against his lips, but he thrust again and she moved against him greedily. He pulled away slightly to ask if she was okay, but she didn't let him get the words out before she crushed her lips back to his. He needed no more encouragement and took her passionately, learning her body and what made her cry out the loudest.

When they finally sank down to the floor of the shower, kissing softly, arms and legs still wrapped around each other, Edward thought he could never be that exhausted. He told her so, and she giggled breathily, nodding in agreement. She reached over to turn off the water and loved on him quietly as he rested his head against her shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered softly in his ear, moving the wet locks off his forehead.

"Yeah, I should hope so, after that," he chuckled, smiling without opening his eyes.

"Mm." She stroked his head softly, waiting.

"You know, you owe me now."

"What? You enjoyed this as much as I did," Bella protested.

"No, I mean for the change. You owe me a wedding."

She sighed theatrically. "Well I guess. If I have to."

"Well, I won't force you," he said seriously, sitting up to look into her eyes.

She rolled her eyes and gave him a meaningful look.

He searched her eyes for a moment before she looked away, embarrassed a little by the changes in her face. Edward lifted her off carefully and turned on the water again, standing to rinse his body. Bella hugged her knees and bit her lip, watching him carefully. He turned to offer her his hand, but paused when he saw her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, kneeling down beside her.

"You still haven't told me you love me," she mumbled.

"Oh, Bella!" He pulled her against him once more. "I love you with all my heart. I'll never stop loving you. You're everything to me, more than the moon and stars in the sky."

"Even though I'm different?" she asked, on the verge of tears that would never come.

"You'll always be my Bella, no matter how your body changes," he reassured her. He held her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly. "I love you. Forever."

"Forever." Bella repeated softly with a satisfied smile.

He gave her the crooked smile she adored. "I just hope you won't get tired of me before then," he teased.

She pounced and toppled him over onto his ass with a thud. "Don't think I won't get you back for doubting me," she warned. "I might have to withhold certain privileges."

"Oh? I get privileges?" He laughed warmly as he sat up more firmly.

Bella smiled and moved on top of him again. "Well, this body recovers quickly. I can show you a few if you want."

Edward grinned and placed his hands on her hips, moving to steal a kiss from her beautiful, cool lips.

"I love you."

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_YAY! Another chapter finished Thanks so much for sticking with me and my procrastination. I hope you'll have the patience to continue with me till the end!_

_ 3 I appreciate every single one of you who take the time to write a review. You're the ones who make these things successful!_

_firedroplett_


	8. Chapter 7

_I figure the disclaimer can take a hike this far into it… if you don't already know who owns the series, you haven't been reading this. lol._

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Alaska was so cold. Not that she felt it in her body much, but she felt it in her heart. When she thought about how she would not get to go home again mostly.

She paced silently through the woods, making a large oval path. She was amused a moment when she wondered if any humans would ever accidentally take this circle path through the wilderness, hoping maybe to find a way out of the forest and really just walking around uselessly.

Edward was worried, she could feel it. She didn't think it was one of her powers, just a kind of awareness of where he was and his general feelings at all times. He was worried about her.

She had been having trouble adjusting to her new lifestyle. Once the passion from being with Edward wore off a little, the thirst had hit her. Badly. She had doubled over as her eyes turned nearly all black, a crimson band around the edge. She truly looked like a monster in her reflection. Not that Edward would ever know she felt that way.

"_Why are my eyes red? Shouldn't they be your color? I haven't…" she trailed off, slightly horrified at what may have happened during the times she didn't remember. _

"_They're reacting to your human blood, not anything you took in," Edward had explained patiently. "Does it bother you?"_

Her pause had been enough to give him his answer. He was helping a lot in her coping with the transformation, and yet… not at all. He was wary around her sometimes, cautious not to upset her. Even though the decision was final and she could never go back….

Bella smelled Alice before she saw her. Downwind, she could sense pretty accurately from what direction Alice was coming. Though there were many skills the Cullens were teaching her, about hunting and being a vampire in general, she had somehow retained her aversion to the smell of blood. Now, it was like the scent of alcohol to someone with both a mild allergy and an addiction. She hadn't realized before now how accurately the drug analogy had described it. The "withdrawal" was terrible. The hunger. Always blood. She could feel warm bodies around her in the woods, just waiting to be ripped open. She shuddered quietly at the thought and sat down. But the heightened senses weren't always a drawback. She liked it that no one could really sneak up on her anymore.

"Hey Bella," Alice called out quietly when she was close enough to be heard, but not yet visible. "Why are you out here by yourself?"

"He sent you?" she asked with a smile as her sister peeked from around a tree. The spiky black hair stood out against the white of the Alaskan forest.

"Well, yes, but I was concerned. You've been awfully quiet recently you know." She plopped down into the snow next to Bella. "Are you okay?"

"It's this place. I guess it's getting to me. We're out in the middle of nowhere and the sun is shining but it holds no warmth. Everything is so cold and lifeless here. It's not a happy place for me." She turned away so Alice's concerned eyes were no longer in her peripheral vision.

"You miss home? Charlie?" she guessed.

"Too green," she remembered with a smile. "Yeah, I really do miss Forks. I know… I know Edward really wanted a wedding. Soon…" Bella caught the slight pout on Alice's lips. She had insisted, using dirty tactics to get her way, on being the wedding planner, but without the location, there was only so much she could do. She hadn't been able to foresee at the beginning of this whether Bella would be a vampire yet or not, since Edward had been fairly wishy-washy on the subject. "But I just… can't do it here. There is no life in this place."

Alice leaned her forehead on Bella's shoulder. "I know you're eager." She thought about that for a moment. "Do you want to go near a human and see?" Bella sat and thought about it, and in the span it took her to consider, Edward was there. She looked up slowly.

He looked very serious, but managed a quick smile. "I'm going too," he said shortly, glancing at Alice as Bella apparently made her decision and the short premonition flashed through Alice's mind.

The girls both got up from the hard, dead earth and with Alice leading, they ran off into the woods. Bella was so surprised when she found she was stronger than her new family members, but Edward, always the fastest, still came out on top and kept pace with her. The running was incredible, more exhilarating than she could have imagined. She felt the way the earth flowed around her, and though she was somewhat conscious of moving, it was like her body took over to help her fly through the sleeping forest.

Alice knew exactly where the hunter was, miles away from Tanya's coven, off in the woods. They slowed as Bella caught the blood scent and it rocked her back in her tracks. She snorted a moment as a dog might when catching an unpleasant scent and covered her nose, breathing through her mouth. That was worse; she could taste the man. This had not been her first encounter with the human smell, but it seemed just as repulsive and irresistible as the first time. It never seemed to be getting better, and as long as it didn't, she couldn't go home to explain to Charlie her absence this time, so much longer than the others. She had written a letter before she left, telling him she was getting married and therefore hiding because she was afraid of his reaction to the news. And though she had said she was going to college, she neglected to mention where, in case Police Chief Swan decided to come storming to whatever state she had decided to stay in. She desperately wanted to go back, but this _smell_!

"Blech. It still smells rusty."

Edward chuckled a little. "A little metallic, I suppose." He held her close, restraining. "Are you good to move closer?" he searched her eyes with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, how close can we get?" she asked with more bravado than she felt, still wrinkling her nose slightly but otherwise composed. Edward laughed a little at her expression, but led the way around the woods to the back of the house, not 20 ft from the man's back. She peered from around the tree and sniffed experimentally. She had to grip the tree to keep from moving closer, drawn in by his beating heart. Edward placed his arms around her waist and leaned against her shoulder, all of them utterly silent. He twitched and looked around at Alice a moment before shifting them around the tree slightly to be hidden from the door to the house as well. A little boy burst forth excitedly, towing along his artwork to show his father, coming within inches of the tree. Bella had flinched slightly, but leaned away when the boy came near, rather than straining towards him as she had done the first few times she had encountered humans in this new form, as she had done with the father. But she had been practicing, with the animals in the forest and her reaction to this surprise was the biggest breakthrough she could have hoped for. She looked over her shoulder, grinning, to Edward who mirrored her excitement. He kissed her cheek silently, pressing his lips to her skin as the sun caught it through the trees. Alice wasn't smiling though. She wasn't anywhere in sight actually. The sun sparkling off Bella's skin had caught the attention of the hunter, and when Edward caught up with her thoughts, he bolted too, dragging Bella along with him. She could hear the loud, awkward human tromp over to the edge of the woods and silence his son, but soon they were out of range, as fast as they were running. That was certainly one thing she didn't miss, needing to be so loud, slow and clumsy. When they finally reached Alice, both Edward and Bella started giggling sheepishly.

"Well I'm glad you had fun," Alice said as she rolled her eyes. "So what do you think?"

"I moved away!" Bella exclaimed happily. "The little boy came out and I didn't try to move forward, I moved away! Maybe I can make it so I only smell the gross part and then I won't eat people," she laughed excitedly, ignoring the look Edward gave her at the childish outlook she had on 'eating'.

"Are you okay?" he asked when her sparkling eyes appeared much darker than normal.

"Well… yeah I guess now that I think about it I am a bit hungry now, but still! That makes it even cooler. That I moved away."

Edward laughed again and gave her a big, warm hug. As she looked into his smiling face, she thought this had to be the best part; Edward not being careful about touching her anymore.

"Hey—" Bella started to ask, turning to Alice, but she nodded before Bella could finish asking.

"Let's go running and we'll grab dinner on the way," she laughed musically, completing her thought for her. "Catch me if you can!" she called over her shoulder as she took off again into the woods. Though Alice knew the terrain better, Bella kept pace only 100 ft. or so behind her, dodging suddenly when Alice took a turn around trees and jumping over brambles with ease. The chase was perfect, not even marred by the feeding, when she lashed out suddenly at a large animal nearby that turned out to be a bobcat. Even the play times were always teaching times for her as the Cullens gently coached her to live as they did. Edward had slipped off earlier when Bella got too into the chase to notice, but stood waiting on the porch of the little house built just for them when she returned, eyes wild and a strange orange color as some of her lingering human blood was diluted with the animals she had been taking in over the past five months. And somehow, the woods weren't dead anymore, the place not quite so cold. There was hope again, here with her family, with her love, and before long, she might be able to meet her parents again after such a long separation.

She threw herself into Edward's arms and he caught her with ease, spinning her around and kissing her happily.

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_Yeah okay so this is mostly filler stuff, I realize, but I can't put down the wedding just yet. And I've taken way too long to not have another installment ready.. But! I hope to have the story done… no, I will have the story done by the end of the year. So I have a deadline Maybe I'll be motivated to do more writing now. Lol_

_Hope you're all getting Eclipse! Happy reading!_

_firedroplett_


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